Are swim spas going to be big enough to swim in?

This is a question we get asked regularly from customers looking at purchasing swim spas, and the answer is yes, of course. You don’t need a large area or a deep body of water to be able to swim effectively. If you’ve ever used public swimming pools you probably didn’t need to adjust your swimming stroke when transitioning from the deep end to the shallow end, and the shallow end of a municipal pool will usually measure 0.9 metres in depth (some of the swimspas in our range are deeper than this).

So what is a swim spa and how does it work?

Well, a swim spa is a product that allows you to swim continuously against a current without having to turn or change direction, often referred to as a counter current swimming pool. Whether you're a fitness fanatic training to keep fit and healthy, or looking to endure the extreme demands of competitive swimming, open water swimming, triathlons or iron man competitions, a swim spa can provide you with a tailored, adjustable swim current strength to suit your individual fitness needs. They also have their own integrated heaters so you can adjust the water temperature to suit you. They're a bit like an oversized hot tub swimming machine!

Swim spas work by either using a counter current swim jets to create an adjustable water current to swim against or, in the case of our Endless Pools Fitness Systems, use the unrivalled Endless Pools Fastlane to provide the water current for you. Either counter current pool will work well to help you increase your swimming fitness and choice is usually dependent on your needs and proposed use.

Which counter current swimming machine will be the best for me?

This will depend entirely on your individual needs and how you will be using the swim spa. You will either be considering counter current swim jets or an Endless Pools Fastlane. Don’t worry, our trained sales staff are here to help you make the right choice for you but we can let you know a little bit about each type of system to help you understand how to make the right choice for you. We also have the X500 Swimcross Exercise System and E2000 Endless Pools Fitness System available to view and wet test at our Cardiff showroom, just bring your swimming costume and a towel to try these fabulous swim spas for yourself!

Counter current swim jets are designed for both swim and water workout exercising and are suitable for all ages, body sizes and skill levels. Our SwimCross Exercise Systems feature five swim jets and are driven by two pumps providing a powerful and steady water stream of 1,200 litres per minute. The SwimCross jet design is also unlike many other because they don’t rely on introducing air to the swim current to add extra force, instead they use a boost effect to draw in more water, multiplying the volume and resulting in a stronger resistance for swimming against with less turbulence. This means you will find it easier to stay centered on the swimlane and the unique lift provided by the lower jets gives you added buoyancy when in the water.

The Endless Pools Fitness Systems is a swimming pool counter current system that will appeal to regular swimmers and fitness enthusiasts right through to serious competitive swimmers, triathletes and iron men and women, it offers you the ultimate in swim lane technology. The industry leading Endless Pools Fastlane provides a superior swim-in-place experience, is custom made and the hydraulically powered propulsion system creates a laminar current of up to 19,000 litres per minute that is wider than your body and deeper than your stroke! Featuring multiple conditioning grills help smooth and redirect the water, removing air resulting in a counter current pool that is completely free of turbulence. Even at full power it feels like swimming in a smooth, open water current. The swimming machine flow can also be adjusted from speeds ranging from 5:33 minutes (gentle breaststroke) to 1:14 minutes per 100 metres and can be precisely adjusted for perfect pace control.

These swim spas also have some great optional extras to further enhance your swim training. Choose a swim pace display system to really start measuring your performance efforts or, if you opt for a system without an underwater treadmill, add an underwater floor mirror.

Can I choose a size of swim spa that’s right for me?

Yes you can. The SwimCross and Fitness Systems are available in a number of different sizes and depth to suit your particular needs. The respective swim lane lengths for each swim spa are then determined by the distance from the front of the swim jet to the start of the first step at the rear of the unit. This gives you an indication of the fit you will need to comfortably swim within the swim lane offered by each model.

Swim lane length of the X200 Swimcross Exercise System

Swim lane length of the X500 Swimcross Exercise System

Swim lane length of the Endless Pools Fitness System E500

Swim lane length of the Endless Pools Fitness System E700

Swim lane length of the Endless Pools Fitness System E2000

Awarding excellence in the Swimming Pool, Swimspa and Hot tub industry

Well, another year is fast approaching an end and it’s time for companies in the Pool and Spa industry to start reflecting on their achievements over the past twelve months and plan for the forthcoming new season. Every company hopes to build on the completion of successful swimming pool and hot tub projects year on year, improve customer service levels and make valued improvements to the overall buying experience. It’s also nice to know that those continued efforts in a business are implemented effectively and that the improvements are recognised by both customers and industry peers alike. No industry awards ceremony reflects those efforts better than the UK Pool & Spa Awards.

Now in it’s seventh year the UK Pool & Spa Awards has continued to grow bigger and better year on year and has seen an overwhelming demand for entrants with 31 award winning opportunities now on offer. The competition is open to the entire water leisure industry across multiple disciplines including swimming pool designers, swimming pool installers, hot tub and swim spa manufacturers together with retailers and wholesalers. Entering these prestigious awards is an opportunity for any company to raise their profile amongst industry leaders and customers alike.

Simply entering these awards isn’t a guarantee of success though. Each entry is judged by both a public and private vote with 40% of the overall vote being cast on-line by the general public and 60% being judged by a specially selected panel consisting of industry representatives and professionals from around the globe. If you’re going to put yourself forward for an award there aren’t many places to hide unfortunately!

As ever, we’ve continued to work hard to make improvements to the business over the last year and decided that the categories best reflecting our efforts for reward were Spa Retailer of the Year, Pool Retailer of the Year, Pool Showroom of the Year, Pool & Spa Showroom of the Year and Website of the Year. That’s 5 in total, hopefully everyone else agreed with our opinions on the improvements we had made!

So began the anxious wait for the award results at The Vox Conference Centre, Resorts World, Birmingham. As ever, the turnout was impressive with many leading industry figures present including a special guest appearance from Michelle Dewberry, a broadcaster, business woman and winner of the second series of the BBC’s, Apprentice. Our first chance to settle the nerves came with an informal networking session with major suppliers within the swimming pool, swimspa and hot tub industry followed by an introduction to the award entries and the companies looking to take home some awards. The competition was as strong as ever and winning an award was going to be an achievement this year.

After a few inspirational words from Michelle on the role of technology and young women in business together with an insightful look at the pool and spa industry and the repercussions of the Brexit vote by the UK Pool & Spa Awards event organiser it was time to announce the winners. First awards category and our first entry, Website of the Year. There were some well deserved Business Award winners in this competitive field but we were stunned to be collecting our first win so early in the evening, a Gold Standard Award for the All Swim website. A great start! Next came the Commercial Pool and Project Awards with some stand out winners in the Luxury Pools and Hot Tub and Spa of the Year Awards. Finally, the Prestige Awards and the remainder of our four entries, let’s hope we followed on from our early success. Pool Showroom of the Year was announced as another Gold Standard Award for All Swim, followed by Winner of the Pool and Spa Showroom of the Year and amazingly, 2 more Gold Standard Awards for Pool Retailer of the Year and Spa Retailer of the Year. What an incredible end to an exciting evening of events, an award in every category we entered!

Jane Veysey, company director remarked:

“It’s unbelievable to receive so many awards at the UK Pool & Spa Awards this year, they are always genuinely unexpected as the competition is always very tough. I would just like to thank all of our customers for their continued support and to my team of staff who help make my business a success with their hard work and commitment.”

Here’s to another year of continued improvements at All Swim and another successful year of business in 2018, we hope you will all continue to support us as a business and enjoy the continued improvements we consistently make to our products and services.

Is Swimming The Ideal Exercise Choice For All?

Whether you enjoy the occasional leisurely dip in the swimming pool or competing for your club team, we all know that swimming provides great benefits to health and wellbeing.  And with today’s hectic pace of life, it’s never been more important to dedicate time to taking care of ourselves and using that time wisely to improve our health, fitness and general wellbeing. 

Here are four reasons to consider fitting swimming into your workout routine:

#1 Swimming Boosts Mindfulness

While most forms of exercise are proven to release endorphins and aid mental wellbeing, the act of swimming forces you to truly ‘live in the moment’ as your visual focus is solely on the water not easily distracted by anything around you. In addition, the sound of the rushing water as you move aids in transporting you to a ‘zen’ like mental state – helping you to switch off from the stresses of the day.  Swimming has even been referred to as the Moving Meditation, a great option if you aren’t keen on traditional meditation styles. Here's 4 useful tips for turning your swimming routines into moving meditation.

#2 Time Savvy Workouts

Did you know that exercising in water makes your body work harder than on dry land? So swap that 45 minute exercise class the other side of town for a 30 minute aquatic workout instead when time is of the essence. Here's 8 more benefits of swimming that you may not be aware of. And don't worry, we understand that not everyone has the space for traditional swimming pools so our superb range of swimspas allows you to swim in place with the added benefits of easy installation of a unit that is totally self-contained.

#3 Swimming Can Help Relieve Asthma Symptoms

It can prove difficult trying to find the most suitable form of keeping fit when you suffer from asthma or respiratory system complaints, particularly as breathing in cold, dry air is often a trigger for symptoms.  The air you breathe in while swimming (particularly indoors) is moist, warm and humid which does not cause the same irritation in the lungs and airways – helping asthma sufferers to enjoy a work out without the additional struggle of battling symptoms. Here's more information on why regular exercise offers many benefits for people with asthma.

#4 Full Body Workout Minus The Impact

Every stroke and kick when swimming provides excellent resistance, as water is denser than air, and while your limbs are working hard your core stability comes into play to keep your head, neck and spine stable while your heart and lungs pump simultaneously. This combination of factors ticks every box in the great workout checklist; Aerobic Fitness, Core Stability Strengthening and Muscle Building/Definition.  Swimming is also a low-impact form of exercise, making it the ideal choice for those recovering from injury or suffering from joint and mobility issues.

Regardless of your ability level, swimming can provide some unique health and wellness benefits for everyone - whether you are 8 months or 80 years old!